


A Brother's Deduction

by lilsherlockian1975



Series: Lil Bit of Sherlolly [18]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Humor, More Christmas Fun, Romance, Sherlolly - Freeform, Tumblr Prompt, love and stuff, mollock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-08
Updated: 2016-10-08
Packaged: 2018-08-20 04:13:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8235724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilsherlockian1975/pseuds/lilsherlockian1975
Summary: This is a follow up to A Brother's Intervention. Sorry for the sads, hope this makes up for it.Years later at yet another Christmas party, Mycroft makes a deduction about his brother... then stuff happens.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CQCRASH](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CQCRASH/gifts).



> Big thanks to MizJoely for betaing this and to gcintia for the original prompt. 
> 
> I own nothing. Enjoy ~Lil~

Sherlock was pacing; he really couldn’t stop. He did everything in his power to ignore the room full of people, to focus on what would be happening later, but he was experiencing a bout of nerves. A distracting amount of them. He wished he could just get it over with, but was on a schedule and some things couldn’t be rushed. Timing really _was_ everything.

Mrs. Hudson floated in with a tray of nibbles and started passing them around. _Well, now they’ll never leave,_ he thought as he listened to Lestrade drone on about his most recent reconciliation with that adulterous wife of his. Donovan looked properly annoyed at having to listen to her boss’s marital woes. Mary and Molly were fussing over little Ella Watson. Though he had to admit that the infant did look wonderfully festive in her red velvet dress. He allowed himself a moment’s reprieve from his brooding to admire his Goddaughter, then went back to scowling at the rest of the party goers. John was chatting with Mike Stamford, who both had tumblers of the ridiculously overpriced scotch that Mycroft had brought along out of courtesy or tradition or some such nonsense. He groaned as he made another pass. Looking at his watch he thought, _Thirty minutes and counting…_

* * *

 

Mycroft watched his little brother pace the room and thought back to another Christmas, a much darker one he’d call it if he were feeling poetic, which he wasn’t. He was feeling… _uneasy_. Several years before he’d advised Sherlock to ignore his heart in regards to Molly Hooper, and for once Mycroft could admit that he’d made a mistake.

Even though he still believed that caring for people and letting them in was, in most cases, a mistake, he could now see the benefit of someone like Molly in his brother’s life. With John moving on and no longer able to be his brother’s keeper, Miss Hooper was just the kind of person he needed to help keep Sherlock in line. He firmly believed that she could accomplish the task, perhaps even better than John. He knew his brother well enough to know that his feelings for the small brunette had never wavered.

_Now… how to make it happen?_

Molly seemed to have moved on from her crush or infatuation or whatever she’d once felt for Sherlock. Seeing him at his worst no doubt played a part in her now less idealised opinion of the man. Mycroft Holmes was a minor government official, not a matchmaker, but he could and would find a way… Suddenly he noticed Molly looking at Sherlock. Though his brother had been sneaking glances all evening (which wasn’t unusual), now it seemed that they were trying to wordlessly communicate with one another. He watched the two of them closely and thought that Miss Hooper might be attempting to, what? Pacify him? Urge him to stop his infernal pacing? Sherlock, for his part, shook his head with a heavy sigh and a petulant look, but did manage to still his legs.

 _Time to act._ He was aware that his motives were self serving, but keeping his brother from self harm was always top priority. “Sherlock,” he said as he approached the younger man, “may I have a word?”

“You may not,” was his abrupt answer.

 _Still a child_. They were standing in the far corner of the room, out of earshot of the attendees. “Fine, I’ll say my piece and leave you to it. Several years ago you asked me a question regarding Dr. Hooper, I assume you remember?”

Sherlock eyed him suspiciously. “Indeed.”

“Well, now’s the time, brother. Seize the day.” He cringed internally at the cliché, but he was trying to make a point. “In this last year the game has changed and I feel that perhaps the addition of romantic sentiment in your life would not hinder you as much as I once believed.”

Mycroft instantly saw his brother attempting to cover an emotion, but it happened so quickly that he could not decipher it.

“You’re telling me that I should pursue a… sexual relationship with Dr. Hooper? Am I hearing you correctly?”

The older man stiffened. “Don’t be crass. What you do in your own home…”

“Has always interested you, don’t try to deny it.”

“Only when it comes to the reckless disregard to your own mortality!” he hissed.

They paused their debate to take a drink; Mycroft had his scotch, Sherlock was drinking water.

“Not that I ever required your permission, but I’ll consider it.”

“That’s all I ask,” Mycroft said before walking away feeling fairly confident that he’d started the ball rolling. Things should progress naturally from there… he supposed.

* * *

 

It was all Sherlock could do to keep from busting out in laughter. His instinct was to tell Mycroft just how much he’d missed this time, rub it right in his face. But then he recognised an opportunity for revenge… and it would be magnificent.

It was time, he noticed as he looked at his watch. He paced across the room once more, making sure to catch Molly’s eye. With a wink and a slight smile, he signaled her to join him. They stood by the drinks table and pretended to pour themselves refreshments.

“I’m nervous,” Molly whispered.

“It’ll be fine, Molly. We’ve been over this.”

“I know but…”

“It’s time,” he said as he rounded on her. Taking her hand he turned to the crowd of people in his sitting room. “May we have your attention please?” All eyes focused on the pair of them. “Molly and I have some news.” He squeezed her hand, giving her the floor.

“I’m pregnant!” she said, sounding terrified and hopeful at the same time.

The room was absolutely silent. The group of people stared seemingly in awe.

“We’re pregnant,” she clarified. “Sherlock and I are having a baby.” No one spoke. “Together.” Turning to him she said, “A little help?”

 _Tedious_. “Molly and I have been in a relationship since February of this year. A sexual one and very committed. Now she and I are having a child together. What about this is so hard to comprehend?” he asked, knowing full well what had caused the mass catatonia, but now that it was finally out he was rather enjoying himself.

Mary Watson was the first to react. _No shock there._ She stood up from the settee and made her way to the couple. “Congratulations! This is wonderful.”

Mrs. Hudson let out a squeal and tackled Sherlock in a surprisingly strong hug. That seemed to shake the crowd out of their collective stupor and the two were engulfed by their friends as they all offered them best wishes.

John, of course, was barely concealing his fury but agreed to ‘talk it out’ at a later date, which Sherlock took to mean he’d be on the receiving end of another of his friend’s closed fists.

Once everyone settled back, giving Molly room to breathe at Sherlock’s insistence, Mycroft made his way over, a look of annoyance on his face. “Congratulations are in order.”

Sherlock didn’t even attempt to hide his glee. “Yes, they are. We fooled you. You never even had a clue.”

Mycroft rolled his eyes. “I was referring to your…news, Sherlock. You’re going to be a father, don’t you think it’s time to grow up?”

“You missed it! Ah, this is _Christmas_!” the detective said, beaming.

“It actually _is_ Christmas, Sherlock. Stop gloating,” Molly chastised. “Thank you, Mycroft. I only wish your parents could have been here.”

“Yes, they will be sad to have missed this. But apparently Branson, Missouri during the holidays is a sight to behold.” He turned to his brother as Molly excused herself. “How?”

“Oh dear,” Sherlock said, feigning pity. “It’s to do with sex, Mycroft. Didn’t Mummy give you the talk? She did me.”

“ _Sherlock…_ ”

The younger man laughed, then said, “I assumed you knew. Until this evening when you offered me your… Was that advice or permission? I couldn’t tell.”

Mycroft shook his head. “Well, you did it. You fooled me and you weren’t even trying.” A beat passed before he spoke again. “This life suits you, Sherlock. Molly suits you. I am… pleased.”

“Thank you,”

“Now, I must be off…” He started to leave.

“It wasn’t the time,” Sherlock said, halting his brother’s departure.

“What?”

“You were right, that evening. It had to happen this way. I wasn’t, well, I’m still not good enough for her, but at the time… it would have ended badly.” Sherlock hated the uncomfortable conversation, but knew that it needed to be said.

“Everything worked out, then.”

He nodded; his brother turned to go, but he called out to him one more time. “Don’t forget your fruitcake, Mycroft.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. I'd love to hear from you. ~Lil~
> 
> *go check out my tumblr (same name), there's a gif that goes along with the story. hugs!


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